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Vet clinic donates pet masks

An area fire department received a generous donation this week — one that will help a four-legged member of the family during a time of emergency.

Baker Animal Hospital, in Cridersville, donated three pet oxygen masks to the Cridersville Fire Department to help assist them in calls involving a pet needing resuscitation.

“These masks will be a valuable tool, if needed, and will give our members the best chance in helping an animal in distress,” Cridersville Fire Chief Rick Miller said.

Miller was contacted by a former resident, Jean (Reichelderfer) Roos, who now resides in New York, and she read an article about previous donations of pet oxygen masks given to other fire departments in Auglaize County. Roos was going to purchase the pet masks before she found out Baker Animal Hospital was going to donate them.

Miller contacted Bakers Animal Hospital and told them of the idea, and that’s when Kristen Ferguson, of Baker Animal Hospital, and the rest of the staff jumped on board for the idea.

“He had mentioned that other vet clinics had done this and it sounded like a good idea,” Ferguson said.

So Ferguson did some calling and ordered three pet masks through a company called “Wag’n Pet Safety.”

“Wag’n Pet Safety” is working with the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) on a recently started program to get every fire department in the state of Ohio a pet oxygen mask to have on hand for emergencies.

Dr. Adam Ferguson and Dr. Fred Ryan, of Baker Animal Hospital, and their staff donated the masks to the fire department on Tuesday, and now the fire department is ready to use them in the case of an emergency.

Ferguson said prior to the arrival of the masks this week, a fire department in Lima had actually used their masks last weekend to save a Labrador retriever.

“So this just goes to show that they are nice to have,” Ferguson said.

Miller, on behalf of the Cridersville Fire Department, wishes to thank Roos and Baker Animal Hospital for their interest in the local animals safety and care.